AMARILLO, TX – Labor disruptions at southwestern Kansas processing operations can quickly create problems across the cattle supply chain, according to Texas Cattle Feeders Association Chairman Laphe LaRoe. He says recent immigration enforcement activity created apprehension among some workers, including legal documented employees.
LaRoe, Director of Operations with Smith Cattle Company in Amarillo, says he was not personally present for the Kansas activity and based his comments on information he received from the region.
He says cattle operations and packing plants cannot easily stop for a day without consequences. Livestock must continue to be fed, moved and processed on schedule, making labor availability especially important.
Processing delays can back cattle up through feedyards and increase costs for producers. LaRoe also says reduced processing capacity could eventually tighten beef availability and contribute to higher consumer prices.
The situation keeps labor reliability and packing capacity in focus across one of the nation’s largest cattle-feeding regions.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Disruptions at packing plants can quickly increase producer costs and slow cattle movement through the supply chain.